Belteshazzer shook his head.
“No, it would not be best. The Great King is very jealous. He is scattering the men who surrounded Cyrus and is building up a circle of his own. His command was laid on me to proceed to Babylon, there to reside with the college of priests. But fear not, Prince! We shall come again in due time.”
“Is this a prophecy?” inquired the Prince, his countenance alight with eagerness. “Ah, Belteshazzer! how I have longed to obtain that power you have,—the power to look into the future, to listen to the voice of Shraosha and to tell that which will be! Come with me to my tent and take refreshments. You shall stay with me at least until I march on to my provinces. I will consult God through you. My heart is very heavy. Upon my soul is an oath that galls me; and I fear for my friends and for the Aryan people under this King. After you are refreshed, it may be you will consult the messengers of God and tell me the right course of action.”
Belteshazzer looked upon the young man with sympathy. Gifted beyond all living men with the power to read souls in their nakedness, he saw here a strong, upright spirit of good intent, in whom truth held sway, whose mind was large enough to grapple with and solve the problems of earth, a leader among men; and he loved the youth. He did not answer immediately, but looked into the eyes of the Prince earnestly as if reading his thoughts. The Prince could not drop his gaze. Belteshazzer presently looked away to the west, where the last glow of the sunset still reddened the sky, and he sighed deeply. Then his eyes swept slowly around the horizon, resting an instant on the towers of the distant city and then upon the tents of the army. The river’s low murmur came up from the darkening vale mingled with whisper of leaves moved by the breeze.
“I know, my son,” he said after a moment’s silence, “that you have given an oath which may not be broken. I read the thoughts that recur, tempting you to break it. I read your heart and the love in it for the sister of the King, and the brotherly love you hold towards the brother of the King. I know that in the King’s mind is a fierce hatred towards you and a foul intent to make away with his brother; and that he is even now plotting against him. I know that dark and bloody days are impending; but the God of Spirits has guards around you, and as long as you walk after the good intent in your heart, you will triumph over all dangers and you will come at length to a higher estate. More than this I do not know.”
The Prince bowed his head reverently before the speaker. In the presence of this man he was humble,—this man about whom wondrous stories had been told: of his great wisdom; of his power over the spirits of men; of the prophecies he had uttered; of the handwriting on the wall at the close of Belshazzar’s feast, when the great Cyrus was entering the inner city of Babylon by the river-bed and seizing it while the people feasted; of his immunity from fire and from the wrath of wild beasts, which, it was said, were his friends, no matter how savage; and of his steadfastness in the worship of his God.
“O Prince of God!” he exclaimed as the prophet ceased speaking, “I would give all that I have to hold communion with the unseen powers as you do! I have read the teachings of the great master, Zoroaster, and I have listened to the wise men who have studied all that is to be known; but, when I stand before you and listen to your words, my soul sinks, and I wonder if I worship the true God, or whether there are two gods, yours and mine, or more; or whether Ahura-Mazda is but an idea. I wish that I might sit again at your feet and learn the whole truth!”
Belteshazzer looked upon the young man, with love and admiration expressed in his large, deep eyes. His voice when he again spoke, was full of sympathy and fatherly kindness. “Son, there is not much to learn, save this: that God, the Supreme Ruler of all, is one God; that He manifests His power by His Spirit and by His messengers; that He is known to all peoples, but under different names and different aspects, and that He is the Father of all. Men have forgotten Him and have attributed to Him qualities that He has never possessed. Some have made Him a monster, have carved Him in wood and stone, made idols to represent Him and fallen down before them, forgetting that God is a Spirit, who never looks upon idolatry with allowance—forgetting, because not seeing! But of old, when there was but one family of men on this earth, God was known to all men. His spirits and messengers walked and talked with men, until men by gross and sensual lives made it impossible. The Ancient of Days gave man a life of immortality; breathed His own life into the first man, and he became a living soul; made him free to live as he would, to choose good and evil. Men, from the first days, ages ago, lived happily, until selfishness drove them to quarrels, to murder, and to other sins. Then they separated, families moving hither and thither over the world, forgetting each other; some descending into ignorance and barbarism; others ascending to a higher state of knowledge; all looking upon nature and clothing nature’s God in their own vain imaginings. Some kept the knowledge of God more perfectly than others. The Spirit of God talks with every man, bringing up to his spirit suggestions of better life. From time to time great teachers are sent. So came Moses to us, the sons of Abraham and Heber. So came Zoroaster to the Aryans. And a day will come—I have seen it in a vision!—” here the Prophet’s voice thrilled with awe and his eyes were cast upward to the heavens,—“I saw in a vision one night, years ago, before the great Cyrus overthrew Babylon, One, like the Ancient of Days, sitting on the clouds of heaven; and there came before him One like unto a son of man; and to Him did the Ancient of Days give dominion and glory over all peoples of all the earth and all people should in all their divers languages serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion and His kingdom shall never be destroyed. All the nations of the earth shall serve Him gladly!”
He ceased a moment and stood enraptured, contemplating the heavens and recalling again the glories of his vision. The young man looked upon the seer’s countenance with awe. He endeavored to gather the full meaning of the spoken words. Whether he spoke, he knew not, but his mind did form the question, “When shall this be?”
The question came to Belteshazzer and he answered: “I know not when, but He will come in the fullness of time. He will not reign as kings reign, but only in the souls of men. He will waken men to everlasting life, men who have endeavored to do well. He will waken others to shame of their evil lives and to everlasting contempt. Then all men shall have full knowledge of God. None shall fail to know their Redeemer. He will come when God wills.”